Month: August 2016

5 August 2016: UN Member States have finalised negotiations on the outcome document to be adopted at the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) High-level Meeting on Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants (HLM), which will take place on 19 September 2016. The agreed text takes the form of a declaration, which includes annexes outlining areas of agreement and next steps both on a ‘Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework’ and on a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. The negotiations on the outcome of the HLM were led by co-facilitators David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland, and Dina Kawar, Permanent Representative of Jordan.

It’s no secret that the Olympic Games bring together a diverse pool of people from different ethnicities and cultures — individuals who have divergent beliefs and lifestyles, particularly when it comes to the practice of faith and religion. So, with the world’s most famous sports competition just days away, some might be wondering how Olympic organizers in Rio will help meet these diverse spiritual needs.

Pope Francis said on Sunday that it was wrong to identify Islam with violence and that social injustice and idolatry of money were among the prime causes of terrorism. “I think it is not right to identity Islam with violence,” he told reporters aboard the plane taking him back to Rome after a five-day trip to Poland. “This is not right and this is not true.”

During his weekly visit to people in St Peter’s Square in Rome, (called General Audience) on morning of 3 August, Pope Francis reminded those present that the Summer Olympics begins this weekend. While greeting the Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, Francis offered an affectionate greeting to the Brazilian people, particularly in the city of Rio de Janeiro, hosting athletes and fans from around the world.

Catholic Bishops in Indonesia have condemned a series of attacks on Buddhist temples by a Muslim mob in Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra, over the weekend, saying that it has damaged religious harmony. The Bishops also called on for the perpetrators who reportedly destroyed ten temples in raids late on July 29 and early July 30 to be brought to justice.